


My Jealousy Means That I Actually Care About You

by YT_chan



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse), Resident Evil - All Media Types
Genre: 4+1, Attempt at Humor, Brother-Sister Relationships, Canon Compliant, Communication, Established Relationship, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff, Fuckbuddies, Gen, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Misunderstandings, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Canon, Pre-Resident Evil 1, Rating May Change, Sexual Content, Sexual Experimentation, Warnings May Change, mentions of human trafficking, we've finally made it my dudes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-02-25 07:13:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22492114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YT_chan/pseuds/YT_chan
Summary: Wesker huffed impatiently, placing his hands on the desk and leaning in a little closer, his voice dropped to a low, threatening rumble. “Get it done.” Chris shivered, but nodded fervently. “I want to see it on my desk within in an hour, and don’t let that girlfriend of yours distract you.”Or: four times Wesker gets jealous and one time Chris does.
Relationships: Chris Redfield & Claire Redfield, Chris Redfield & Forest Speyer, Chris Redfield & Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield & Rebecca Chambers, Chris Redfield/Albert Wesker, William Birkin & Albert Wesker
Comments: 53
Kudos: 196





	1. Chris & Claire

1)

Chris was beginning to regret the idea of letting Claire come to the office with him today, her everlasting chatter and excessive prodding no doubt going to be a big distraction. He wasn’t really sure why he agreed in the first place to let her come, but she had insisted to see his work and he had a hard time saying no to her. Not that he would actually take her out on the field, she would just stay in his office and meet his team, but even that was sounding like a bad idea now.

Claire seemed to have the impression that Chris was the target of someone’s affection, claiming that there was always someone crushing on him and being in S.T.A.R.S. was no different.

“It’s very different.” He’d said, frowning when she completely ignored him. “And when has anyone ever had a crush on me?” She had given him an incredulous look and then started listing off names that Chris could barely recall. He looked baffled at her, but she seemed 100% sure that she was right on her hunches. Chris could only shake his head and warn her not to bring any of that nonsense up when he was at work.

He wasn’t actually sure if he could even bring her to work, but he saw no harm in it. And he remembered a time where Barry brought his girls in because his missus was at the hospital, everyone had cooed at them and gave them treats, but Chris doubted that they’d give Claire the same treatment. She didn’t deserve it.

He opened the door to the office, seeing Joseph and Jill deep in conversation and Barry’s eyes glued to his screen. Brad was nowhere to be seen so he was probably grabbing everyone some coffee. Wesker had his own separate office, a room just next to their own with a door that connected the two together. That would be where he would sometimes barge in and tell them to stop goofing off, demanding reports, or where he’d tell them about a sudden mission. Either way, he was lucky to have his own space and Chris was grateful Claire might not meet him. Wesker was a good guy, but he could be prickly sometimes and he didn’t want to risk Claire ticking the guy off, or reprimanding him for her being there. When his teammates heard him enter, they greeted him, but quickly took note of the second person close behind him.

Jill was first to approach them both, her eyes lighting up when she saw the younger looking girl that was Claire.

“Who’s this?” Chris smiled at Jill’s tone of voice, and underlying softness there that she would never grant to her fellow teammates.

“I’m Claire,” She chirped, grinning, and Chris didn’t miss the way she clung on to his arm but decided to ignore it. “I’m his girlfriend.”

Both Chris and Jill blanched, and Chris glared at Claire, fuming, while also trying to explain to Jill how that was _incorrect_. But through his flustered babbling, Claire (oh, he was _so_ going to kill her) leaned forward and pecked his cheek, not helping him keep calm at all. And before anyone could make a comment, Chris pulled Claire out of the office.

“What the hell are you doing?” If Chris’s anger was making her regret playing her little game, she didn’t show it, instead she appeared amused at the reaction she got, even going so far as to smirk in her brother’s face.

“What? It’s just a little joke.” Knowing her brother would protest immediately, she nudged him lightly with her elbow, still smiling despite the frown he had on his face. “Just play along, it won’t do any harm. And besides,” she said, voice dropping low, “We might get someone jealous.”

They stared down each other for a good couple of seconds, but Claire knew that her brother was always easy on her, partly due to the fact that he was so protective from having to bring her up when they were both young. And just as she predicted, he gave in, sighing tiredly and pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Just don’t wind anyone up.” He watched Claire cheer, shaking his head as he entered the room again and saw that everyone’s eyes were on him this time. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, clearing his throat to ‘properly’ introduce Claire this time.

“This is my… girlfriend.” The words didn’t sit right with him but he supposed that playing a little prank wouldn’t hurt, he was also a little curious to see what everyone’s reactions would be. “She wanted to meet you guys so I brought her along, hope that’s not a problem.” He could physically feel Claire’s evil grin behind him.

When Chris sat down at his desk, Claire pulling a chair to sit beside him, Jill came up to his desk with one eyebrow raised. He pointedly let her stare for a while, trying to hide his embarrassment because that’s what this entire ordeal was. Embarrassing. He couldn’t believe Claire was making him do this.

“I didn’t know you had a girlfriend.” Chris shrugged, not trusting himself to speak without giving himself away. Jill then turned to Claire, extending her hand and smiling warmly. “I’m Jill, Chris’s teammate.”

“Nice to meet you.” Claire’s sweet smile was anything but. “Hope Chris isn’t a nuisance to you guys.”

Jill laughed, and then even more at Chris’s reddening cheeks. “Oh he’s no problem. Honestly, I just didn’t peg him as the type to have a girlfriend, that’s all.”

Chris narrowed his eyes at Jill, who just brushed off his petulant pout and continued on with Claire. “How long have you guys been together? He hardly ever talks about you, if ever.”

“Oh really? He’s probably just too shy about the topic, he can get like that sometimes.” Both girls giggled, and Chris silently wished for something, _anything_ , to come save him from this humiliation.

“We’ve been dating for a couple of years actually, since he was in the Air Force.” Jill nodded, her small smile and teasing tone making her land quickly in Claire’s good book. And she hardly seemed interested in Chris romantically, which quickly got her off of Claire’s list of suspects, although that didn’t disregard the fact that Chris and Jill were obviously good friends. She smiled at the thought, happy that her big, stupid brother wasn’t alone here.

Chris looked up from his computer, not too keen on doing his report but also not wanting to stay and be the subject of Jill and Claire’s jokes, he caught Barry’s eye and half smiled at him. Barry just winked, before his eyes went astray and Chris wondered what he was looking at until Wesker marched through the door, about to open his mouth when he froze at the sight of Claire. Chris noticed his wondering gaze, but Claire and Jill were too occupied to. He came striding to their desk, then cleared his throat, both girls stiffening at the sound. Claire immediately clung to her brother, whether she was playing her role as his girlfriend or whether she was intimidated by Wesker’s presence, it hardly made a difference. Jill smiled at their captain, before skittering away back to her desk next to Joseph’s.

“I didn’t realise we had a guest today.” His cold demeanour was somehow even more icy than usual, and Chris felt his throat go dry at the prospect of having to send Claire away.

“Uh, she’s my- She just wanted to come along and, I didn’t think it would be a problem…” He trailed off at the end, looking up at Wesker with a nervous smile. Neither Redfield’s could tell where he was looking behind his tinted glasses, making them both tense up unintentionally. When Claire thought that his attention was to her, she spoke up, her voice uncharacteristically tight.

“I’m Claire, Chris’s girlfriend. I hope I’m not in the way of anything.” She wasn’t usually one to shy away from new people, but something about the man’s dull expression and hidden eyes made her on edge. She hated to admit it, but he was scary.

“Oh no, dear. You’re no trouble at all. I just didn’t expect Redfield here to be one for pleasing women, especially when he has his work cut out for him.” Somehow between his sentences, his welcoming nature towards Claire turned into annoyance when it was directed at Chris, and Claire couldn’t help wrapping her arms around him tighter while he winced at his captain’s oncoming reprimand. “Where is the report I asked for yesterday?”

“It’s nearly done.”

Wesker huffed impatiently, placing his hands on the desk and leaning in a little closer, his voice dropped to a low, threatening rumble. “Get it done.” Chris shivered, but nodded fervently. “I want to see it on my desk within in an hour, and don’t let that _girlfriend_ of yours distract you.”

“Yes Captain.” Chris watched Wesker walk back to his room, and only let out the breath he was holding when the door was closed again. Everyone in the room had gone awkwardly silent, as if they had all sensed the extra sharpness to Wesker’s behaviour. _And I had to get the brunt of it._ A few seconds later, Brad walked in unaware of what had just happened and merrily set down a coffee for everyone, noting the presence of Claire but not questioning it. Well, not to Chris directly. After a couple of minutes, the room picked up the quiet chatter again, Claire seeing it as her queue to freak out on him.

“Was that Wesker?” And by the way she sounded like if she didn’t get her answer in the next second a major disaster would happen, Chris could tell that the captain had really spooked her, either that or she was mad about something. Chris nodded to her question, preparing himself to finish his report because so help him if he didn’t get it done soon Wesker would be out for blood. Chris’s blood to be precise. “Is he always like that?”

“Like what?”

Claire made a vague gesture. “You know…?” She said, not finishing her sentence. Chris snorted, which surprised Claire but obviously meant that she was wrong.

“He has his bad days. But it’s mostly my fault anyway.” She looked as if she had more to say, but didn’t, and Chris didn’t prompt her too either because he really needed to get this report done. And as weirdly spiteful as Wesker had sounded, he was right, he couldn’t let Claire distract him. With one last glance her way, he started finishing up his report. Meanwhile, Claire was deep in thought, considering Wesker’s behaviour, and her suspicions against him grew more with each time she relayed his dark tone and stiff posture. And she couldn’t be the only one who thought that the way he’d uttered the word ‘girlfriend’ was strange, as if it was poison on his tongue, vile and unwanted. And despite how much he probably hid behind those shades, he couldn’t hide the way his eyes were trained on where Claire had been clinging onto her brother. When she put all the pieces together, her eyes sparkled and a slow smile crept on her face.

_Interesting._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Chapter one art](https://yaytobio.tumblr.com/post/190567688065/art-for-chapter-one-of-my-jealousy-means-i)


	2. Chris & Jill

2)

For a place that was supposed to bring entertainment to the general public, it was definitely looking like it could play the part of an opening scene in a horror movie where the first victim is taken. Granted they were here at night when the amusement park is normally closed, but Chris could tell that even in the daylight it wouldn’t look amusing at all, not with the creepy clown art everywhere and fake blood dripping off every wall. Sure it was targeted to be a frightening experience, but deep down people knew that there was truly nothing to be afraid of, all the props were just that, props, and anyone that did come chasing after you with the intent to kill were just actors and staff being paid to do their job, no one was supposed to get hurt. Except that some people had been getting hurt, and seriously too. It was exactly for that reason that the S.T.A.R.S. had been assigned to the case and why they were coming here at night in the first place.

From the quick briefing they had gotten about the case, Chris was already forming suspicions about a psycho member of the staff hunting unsuspecting people down for their own sick, twisted pleasure. According to the footage from the CCTV cameras in this place, there was some activity going on here at night, a high chance that it was the attacker roaming about illegally.

Chris was never big on amusement parks, never having been to one before and never wanting to, his opinion on the matter only being strengthened by this mission. Some of his teammates on the other hand seemed to have gained some excitement about the case, particularly Jill, who couldn’t stop trying to jump-scare Chris at every opportunity she could find. And as much as he valued her worth as part of S.T.A.R.S. and thought of her as a close friend, her childishness and constant ambushes against him was really testing his patience. As such with the luck that Chris was used to, he was stuck with her on their search for the attacker, he wouldn’t have minded with any other case, but this one was a clear exception. The only silver lining he could see in this set up was that at least Wesker was also with them, the man could, without reservation, cease her fooling around and dampen most of her newfound energy with just his presence alone.

As they explored the house of mirrors, a large and long building with stretching walls of endless mirrors, Jill’s eyes marvelled each and every single mirror.

“Chris, look!” She gestured for him to come over, cleverly doing so only when Wesker wasn’t close by, ultimately avoiding any scolding from him. And Chris would have no choice but to come over, unless he wanted to be subjected to Jill’s whining and complaints for the rest of day about how he was beginning to resemble Wesker more and more by becoming a stick in the mud. Sighing for the umpteenth time, he wondered what he did in his past life to deserve both his sister’s teasing and Jill’s mockery.

“What?” he said, making sure to sound as flat as possible. He stood by her and saw her make faces in the mirror, the reflective material distorting her features so that her chin was stretched unbelievably long, the rest of her face comically squished. Not that he wanted to, but he let out a chuckle, Jill’s giggling making her face even more outlandish in the mirror.

“Come check out this one.” She dragged him over to the next mirror, this one obviously meant to make you like you had gained 20 kilos of fat all concentrated around your stomach in under a couple of seconds. Just before Chris could turn around, she got hold of him again, grinning wildly. “Watch this.” She crouched ever so slightly, hardly containing her laughter, and they both watched as her chest expanded ten times larger. “I feel like a porn star now.”

Chris shook his head, cheeks horribly hot and he quickly averted his eyes from the monstrosity that was Jill Valentine. “Jill, what the actual fuck.”

She burst out laughing, clearly unable to hold it back any longer, and Chris glared darkly at her because he knew that all her cheeriness was at the expense of his suffering.

“OK, I’m sorry,” She gasped, wiping tears from her eyes and shaking Chris’s shoulder relentlessly, “I know what you want.” He honestly didn’t want to see what else she had in store for him, but his only other option was to run to Wesker in a last resort to seek protection from Jill’s madness, and that would mean landing himself in awkward silence because Wesker was way too into his work to make small talk. It was almost like Jill knew that too, knew that there was nowhere else for him to go, if her wide, gleaming smile was any indication. Chris knew he was beat, letting Jill do as she pleased until Wesker noticed them slacking off. “Just stand here- yeah like that. And then tiptoe ever so slightly.”

Chris watched in increasing and silent horror as the view of his crotch in the mirror enlarged, making him look like he had a very distinctly massive sexual organ. Chris slowly closed his eyes, Jill falling into hysterics again.

“It’s true though.” She managed to get out between her wheezes, falling onto her knees and smacking the floor several times. “This is exactly want you want!”

“Jesus fucking Christ Jill, I’m taking to you therapy.”

“Why?” She hiccupped, “Because I know you like dick?” Chris blushed fiercely, but used all of his strength to remain glaring at her. “Here’s a tip,” she said as if she was some consultant, “Just stand in front of the mirror like that and you’ll get all the guys you want.” Chris ran a hand over his face, wanting nothing more than for this day to be over. “I mean, you said you’re not into being a bottom, right?”

“Jill, please-”

“And, if I may ask.” Like ice running down their spines, Chris and Jill froze, feeling their blood run cold and colour leave their face. “Why are we discussing Chris’s private parts with such vigour?” Their gulps were audible in the silence of the building, neither of them having the nerve to turn around and look Wesker in the eye or respond to him.

“In case we’ve forgotten, there is a madman loose here and it is our responsibility to find them.” And then suddenly, Wesker was facing Jill, making her jump from the abrupt scrutiny. “I don’t see how you brazenly ogling Chris is going to help up complete our task here, and quite frankly I find it repulsive that you don’t respect his boundaries and continue to harass him. You two are not dating and shouldn’t be acting as if you are, unless I’m mistaken?” The question popped up out of nowhere, Jill not even having enough time to process everything but just knowing that she should shake her head ‘no’ because it was very rare for Wesker to be mistaken. The man narrowed his eyes one last time at her, before turning on his heel and going back to where he was as if he hadn’t come over in the first place.

As for Jill and Chris, they stared at each other with a shared look of shock and maybe lingering fear. And it was like she had lost her voice, the way she whispered loud enough only for the two of them to hear.

“Did… Did Wesker just defend you?” Chris shook his head in disbelief, feeling strangely light-headed suddenly, and he decided that he would rather not think about what just happened.


	3. Chris & Rebecca

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little longer than the others, nevertheless I hope everyone enjoys!

3)

Chris looked puzzled at both the textbook filled with the seemingly unintelligible assortment of numbers and letters, and at Rebecca, pretending to follow along with her excited babbling. Ever since the formation of the rookie Delta team, Chris had gained a few new relationships. He’d developed a friendly rivalry with a guy named Forest, the both of them competing in just about anything when they had the chance. He’d also taken Rebecca under his wing in a weird roundabout way, helping her with any field training and taking the time to listen to her new scientific findings, even if he didn’t understand any of what she said most of the time. And Chris was sure she knew that, but regardless she still called him over to chat. She was the youngest of them all, even younger than Claire if only by a bit, and perhaps that had contributed to Chris’s fondness for her, the need to protect her and make sure that she was doing OK.

Bravo had yet to go on their first major mission, in the meantime they would assist the alphas on theirs by serving as backup, and it was here that Chris had first clicked with Rebecca. He was injured badly on one of his mission, one of the thugs they had been chasing down had dropped a bag of bricks on him, dislocating his elbow and giving him multiple gashes. When he’d stumbled back to their base, Rebecca was quick to tend to his wounds, and she’d even popped his elbow back into place using a weird handshake. Through the pain, he remembered her soft gaze and gentle touch. Afterwards, he had taken the time to seek her and thank her, and from there they kicked off. Ever since then, Rebecca would come to the local café he liked to visit, and they’d catch up. She was nice, and he liked her company, so their meet-ups became more and more frequent over the last couple of weeks.

“I just think it’s fascinating that p53 controls so much about a cell’s replication and that a cancer specifically targets that transcription factor. It’s like that in most malignancies too. There’s this one cancer-“

“Wait.” Chris said, interrupting her, and she smiled nervously as she watched him struggle to take in all the information. “A cancer can specifically target something so that it continues to grow?”

“Yes!” Rebecca beamed, excited that Chris was actually managing to keep up somewhat. She always worried that she was overwhelming him with all the things she talked about, or that he only listened to her out of courtesy to be polite, but to see him genuinely interested in what she was saying made her happy. “They not only promote their own growth through amplification of signals from growth factors, but they also ignore signals from anti-growth factors.”

“That’s messed up.” Chris ran a hand through his hair, suddenly looking even more fearful about cancers than he had when they first started talking about them. “It’s no wonder they’re so hard to cure.” The younger girl nodded, about to explain about retinoblastomas when Chris cursed from opposite her. She saw him scrambling to his feet and she followed, already guessing that he was late for work from his terrified expression. “Wesker’s gonna kill me.”

“I’m sorry, I always get carried away.” Chris was in a hurry, but he could never leave without making things clear to Rebecca that it was never her fault when something like this happened, his relationships with people always came before his work.

He patted her shoulder, giving it a little shake. “You and I both know I’m shit when it comes to time keeping.”

A smile was enough for Chris to know that she was alright. He waved her off, wasting no more time and sprinting as fast as he could with other people in the street. He clambered up the stairs to their meeting room, putting aside the burn in his legs in favour of making it one minute earlier at least. He passed Chief Irons on his way, purposefully picking up his pace as he ran past him to avoid hearing any comment he made about his tardiness. Almost running into the door, he burst through it, watching everyone’s heads turn towards. He paid no attention to whatever dark glare he was receiving from Wesker, taking his seat next to Joseph and trying to calm his heavy breathing. The other male sent him a sympathetic look, before they went back to listening to their captain’s briefing of their next mission.

“As I was saying,” The sentence clearly directed to the disruption caused by their marksman, “You’re not to remove the protective suits until we’re clear of the sewers - there is a serious risk of contracting a disease down there.” As their captain droned on with the little details, explaining about how they were to scan everything with their radiation meters before moving anything, and about what to do with any rats they came across, Chris’s mind wondered to why he signed up for this kind of work in the first place. S.T.A.R.S. was a separate branch to the Raccoon Police Department, and in a sense, they were the elite team that dealt with more serious cases, usually ones involving hunting down serial killers and rescuing people from kidnappings. They handled the mission that carried high risks with them, so it made sense that were also plunging into potentially radioactive and disease-ridden sewers to find the missing victims of a trafficking incident, but really, why the sewers?

As they were dismissed from the meeting, faces grim at the prospect of what they were going to be dealing with in the next couple of hours, Wesker’s was stern as he called Chris over. At this stage, it was like a daily routine for Chris to be chastised by his captain for one reason or another, sometimes it was because of a late report, other times it was because of his reckless behaviour. In fact, he was hardly late, his punctuality usually something he prided himself in. It only happened to be that recently he was getting a little carried away with Rebecca at the café.

“Why were you late to the briefing?” It was no big leap to take to say that Wesker was throwing daggers at him behind those shades.

“I was with someone and lost track of time. It won’t happen again.”

“That’s what you had the nerve to say last time.” They both stared each other down, Chris’s uncertainty about what Wesker could possibly do to discipline making him fidget, but he stood his ground and glared right back. He knew that his captain would never dare to fire him, he was too good for the team, not that Chris had an inflated ego, but he was told so many times by the man himself. Knowing that, he could bend the rules a little to his liking in his favour, but only when he really needed to.

“Next time you’re late, I’ll be writing this up to Chief Irons and let him have a good go at you. You’ll also be suspended from any field work for a month. Is that what you want?”

Chief Irons was a fat bastard, one who liked to make several jabs at his team whenever he had the chance too, being left in his hands would be asking for a demotion. And as much as he was hating the idea of entering the sewers, he’d rather that than be stuck in the office for an entire month writing reports that made him fall asleep with his eyes open.

Chris slowly shook his head. “No Captain.” Finally satisfied with his little lecture to Chris, Wesker gathered the papers on his desk with a few final words to say.

“I don’t know who this ‘someone’ is that you’re seeing, but maybe you should consider different company if they make you forget to check your watch.” Voice unnaturally strained, Chris watched as he packed his things without another word to anyone.

A tap on his shoulder made Chris spin on heel to see Jill with half a smile, most likely internally laughing at his scolding. Ironically, he thought, wasn’t Jill the one who was usually late?

“Were you with Rebecca again?”

“Yeah, I completely forgot about the meeting.”

Both of them missed the tentative stare that Wesker was giving them.

* * *

S.T.A.R.S. was gathered just outside of the entrance to the sewers, all of them geared up in their very unflattering bulky protective suits, and even with their face masks securely on, the stench of the endless piles of waste still infiltrated their nostrils, making Chris use all his strength to not gag at the smell. Even Wesker looked irked at having been tasked with the operation, his shades missing behind his mask. And honestly, if they all pretended to be astronauts, everyone would think they were definitely dressed the part.

“Let’s get this over with,” He grumbled, his voice coming out muffled but not losing the distinct drawl that accompanied his words. “Remember, we’re looking for five girls. Keep your radio handy, as well as your radiation meter, and don’t take of your suits for any reason. Stay with your partner and report back in twenty. Question?” He scanned the faces of everyone there, eyes landing on Chris for a moment before averting. “Good.” The hubbub of everyone pairing up filled Chris’s ears, as well his own confused thoughts as he stood there, lost.

_Partners_? He didn’t recall anytime where Wesker told them they were supposed to team up, and no one on his team had mentioned anything either. Come to think of it. He looked around and finally realised why their crowd seemed bigger than usual. As he spotted some very familiar faces, his own brightened. Bravo team was with them.

Forest smirked when their eyes met, Chris returning his own because he knew that meant they were making this a challenge now. But their brief interaction was ended by Rebecca approaching, her petite frame looking unbelievably ridiculous in the suit. She greeted Chris when she was in hearing range, grinning excitedly as she practically buzzed with energy.

“Ready to go down there?” Still a little dazed by the revelation that Bravo team was here, and that he most likely missed the information where he was supposedly paired with Rebecca, he nodded meekly, eyes wondering back to Wesker as if for clarification about his situation. He didn’t expect to make eye contact though, seeing a glare for the split second that their eyes met before he looked away.

Chris lead them towards one of the sewer entrances, letting the younger girl climb down first as he waited at the top. It would be hard to run in these suits if the emergency ever came by, but at least they were safe from whatever nasty bacteria and viruses that were lurking here. When he had space to, Chris carefully stepped down the rungs of the ladder, finding that he was right about this assumption in their lack of mobility. When they both got down, they set off through the long, dark, and revoltingly smelly tunnel.

Chris lead the way, his radiation meter making all sorts of sounds as he pointed it out ahead of him, it was both comforting to know they had away to detect the lethal materials, and concerning. The particularly loud sounds from the equipment were the most worrisome.

Their steps echoed around them, Chris turning back to Rebecca with a smile. “So what’re the Bravos doing here?”

“The usual: observing, getting experience, backing you guys up.”

“I didn’t even know you guys were coming, honestly.”

“It must’ve been a nice surprise then.” She was cute, and a little cunning when she wanted to be.

Chris laughed, light and airy, “Oh it definitely was a surprise. Can’t say if it was a nice one though.” He grinned at her, but startled when the meter in his hands made another loud sound. “Maybe we should just focus on the mission for now.”

* * *

After what felt like hours of searching, digging through murky clumps of rotting whatever it was they were touching, the both of them decided to take a break. If he were on his own, Chris would’ve continued, but Rebecca was with him and he didn’t want to tire her out, even if she insisted she was fine. Doting on her was almost like second nature to Chris, the years of him taking care of Claire ingrained into not only his muscles but also in his general behaviour.

“Do you think breathing in these suits for so long is OK?”

“We’re still breathing normal air, it’s just filtered. So yeah, I don’t see a problem.” Chris stared off at a plastic bag floating along the water in the tunnel, nodding absentmindedly. “Was Wesker the one who was talking when we were back up there?” Chris slipped out from dozing off, looking at Rebecca.

“Yeah, you’re talking about the blonde guy, right?” Rebecca nodded.

“Why was he-?”

Chris clamped a hand over her mask where her mouth was supposed to be, despite not blocking it how he wanted to, she got the idea and stopped talking immediately. Her eyes were fearful as they darted from side to side, trying to identify what it was that Chris was responding to. From their sitting position, he slowly got up, still managing to keep his hand on Rebecca’s face, and got into a low crouch. He was listening for something, and it was then that Rebecca heard the sound too. It was high pitched, like a dog’s whimper, coming from their left further down the tunnel. Chris let go of Rebecca and started toeing over to the source of the sound, and the younger girl was amazed at how quiet he was, feeling her heart speed up.

Chris was sure that the whimpering must be coming from one of the missing girls, but he couldn’t quite locate where she was. The end of the tunnel split off with two new paths, one to his left and another to his right. The sound was definitely from the left, and he turned that way, before back tracking when he realised he wasn’t waiting for Rebecca. He gestured for her to hurry over, before continuing on. He picked up the pace when Rebecca caught up to him, scanning the area with his eyes and the radiation meter. The girl must be close by, not because the sounds were getting louder, but because of the opposite. It was deathly silent in this area, and Chris had saved enough people to know that they tried to hide in the face of a foreigner until they learned that there was no threat. This case was evidently no different.

“If anyone is there, please show yourself. We’re not going to hurt you.”

“We just want to help.” Chris smiled at Rebecca’s soft tone, she was extremely smart, and it showed in how she instantly knew that the victims would probably respond better to a women than to a man, especially after considering what they were a victim of.

It took a considerable, yet understandable amount of coaxing, and eventually, the girl came crawling out from under the little shelter she made herself. When she looked at the both of them, tears welled up in her eyes and she burst out crying. Rebecca embraced her, and Chris allowed the girl time for her to cry, knowing that she just went through a traumatic experience and was still technically in one. Her green eyes shone even in the dim light, and Chris smiled warmly when she looked at him. “You’re safe now. Just follow us and we’ll get you back home.”

Rebecca patted her head, a smile of her own present to comfort the girl. “I’m Rebecca, and this is Chris. What’s your name?”

She sniffled, looking between the both of them. “Piper.”

“OK Piper, can you walk?” She nodded, and then slowly stood up with Rebecca’s help. Chris led them back the way they came, talking into his radio.

“Wesker, we found one of the girls. We’re taking her up to the surface.”

“OK, good job. You’ll have to stay up there with her and check her for any injuries.” Something about Wesker’s voice through the radio sounded strange, and he was about to put it down as the fact that they were both in suits, but he knew that’s not what it was. He sounded… close by. Close enough that Chris could hear him talking from somewhere down the tunnel.

Just as the thought occurred to him, he turned the corner right and saw Wesker there, both of them looking just as surprised as the other person to see each other. They both lowered their radios, and Chris had to fight off how ridiculous Wesker appeared in his suit, but he did have to admit that the man looked better without his glasses. That was the only plus though.

Although that meant there was no shielding any of them from his dark looks. With how often he turned sour just at the sight of Chris made him believe that Wesker must not like him very much, at least he had the decency to hold back when the girl was there, his eyes softening in a way that got Chris thinking about things he didn’t really want to think about. Like what Wesker was like with children, and if he had any of his own.

Turning his attention back on Chris and Rebecca, specifically Rebecca, Wesker dryly congratulated them.

“And you must be Rebecca Chambers?” She nodded, her posture stiff as she talked to him and Chris couldn’t say he blamed her. He droned on, questioning her about how she was finding the missions, the reports, and her overall time at S.T.A.R.S., somehow managing to chide Chris with every inquiry he had. He would’ve given them their time alone, had it not been for the fact that Wesker seemed suspiciously interested in the younger member, and he hoped it wasn’t for the wrong reasons. Just before they parted ways, they said their last few words.

“As wonderful as it must be to work with dear Chris, I advise you not get caught up in his little schemes as he seems to do with yours, enough so that he’s unceasingly late to my meetings. Is that understood?” Rebecca gaped, but quickly clamped her jaw shut and saluted the older man as he walked passed them and continued through the sewers. It was only when he was well out of their vicinity did Rebecca explode into a fit of nervous rambles and gesticulation, her voice squeaky and unlike Chris has ever heard. He put a hand on her shoulder to calm her, and also remind her that they still had a duty to fulfil.

“Sorry, it’s just that- I wanted to ask about this before.” Chris raised an eyebrow at her curiously, wondering if maybe the captain went a little over board with his interrogation. “Why he is always singling you out like that?”

Chris vaguely recalled Claire asking him something similar when she first officially met Wesker too, and maybe because he was just accustomed to the constant berating, mainly because he knew he incited many of them, but it couldn’t be a coincidence that both Claire _and_ Rebecca have now noticed Wesker’s weird behaviour concerning him. Not that he hasn’t ever thought about it himself, but it only occurred to him recently what the real reason was for the other man’s cold shoulder to him.

“Wesker’s a prickly guy anyway, not mean per say, but he doesn’t really open up much. I just assumed he doesn’t like me.”

Rebecca seemed amused by his response, but no matter how much Chris tried to goad Rebecca into telling him what she found so funny, she wouldn’t budge from her silence.

“Let’s just say that you’re very bad at reading people, and leave it at that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is appreciated!
> 
> Tumblr/Twitter: @yaytobio


	4. Chris & Forest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe I should change the title to: In Which Chris is a Dumbass in Every Chapter

4)

So Chris had finally stepped out of the closet with Claire and told her that he was gay. He had been expecting more of a reaction out of her other than her usual dull look she put only when Chris knew he had said something stupid, and while he should be offended, he was more curious to know about her lack of surprise.

“It’s nice to see you’re so excepting of it, but why do I get the feeling that you already knew?”

“Duh, that’s because I did.” After a long and gruelling interrogation that involved Chris threatening Claire to crash her motorbike in some desolate ditch if she didn’t tell him where she learned that information about him from, his sister finally gave in.

“Jill told me, but she told me not to tell anyone and I swear to you I haven’t.” When Chris returned to S.T.A.R.S. he didn’t spare Jill in the slightest, and she apologised sincerely, to which Chris brushed it off because in the end he wasn’t really mad at her for telling Claire his sexuality, just that she had actually told someone despite her promise not to. Since that fateful day, Chris received endless hints, tips and advice from Claire, his sister self-proclaiming herself as his personal advisor in anything that involved his relationships with other people, and while he mostly dismissed her ideas, he did find one of them appealing.

“I know you don’t like to hear it, but you’re a virgin.” Chris’s initial response had been to deny that, but he’s backtracked just in time to realise that his sister was right. “How do you plan on finding your personal preferences if you never try anything out?” Claire sipped her juice as she watched her brother fumble for words, tucking her legs up on the sofa to curl herself into a tight ball. “They don’t have to be anything serious, just a few flings here and there.”

And with that, he decided to begin experimenting, to find out what he preferred in guys during sex and if he was even at all comfortable with dating another man so openly. That was only part of the process however, he needed to find someone suitable for him to ‘fling’ with, if he used Claire’s words. She had been adamant that there were to be no feelings attached to his sex partner, and that if there were it would only make things horrendously complicated and could result in him hurting people he didn’t want to hurt. Chris gave her a good, long, analytical stare when she had said that, and when he asked her how she knew all of this, she just scoffed at him and called him stupid.

“I’m not slutting around with anyone in case you’re wondering.” He didn’t ask her again.

Chris’s first instinct had been to see if he could pick anyone up at a bar, it would avoid having to see that person again and the risk of feelings blooming would practically be non-existent. But after reconsidering, he realised that that idea held potential danger with it, how could he be sure they weren’t carrying an STD? And what if they were only thieves, looking to rob him when the night was done? He needed to do this with someone he could trust, and hope that they stayed fuck-buddies and nothing more.

Chris wasn’t usually one to study his teammates’ level of attractiveness or pry into personal details like their preferred gender for a partner, but the last week had been an exception, and although he knew it was both creepy and unfairly judgemental to them, he didn’t really have any other options. After the process of asking lots of leading questions which usually left Chris in awkward situations, he found that he was left with no one from Alpha team, and from Bravo he only considered Forest, what luck did he have that Forest would actually agree to him?

* * *

Apparently he had more luck than he realised. He managed to catch Forest during their intermediate time when they changed shifts, hurriedly asking him the same questions he’d been asking the rest of his team, trying to coax out his tastes as discreetly as possible.

“I thought you already knew I was gay.” Forest said in astonishment. Chris gestured for him to keep his voice down, but Forest just smirked at him, obliging nevertheless.

“You never told me.”

“I thought it was obvious.”

Since then, they had discussed an arrangement whereby they would meet up to have some casual sex, agreeing that they wouldn’t get too involved in it and that it was all for the purpose of just experimenting and finding their preferences. Chris had to admit that Forest wasn’t all too bad, he definitely had more experience than Chris himself, and for that reason could keep up for longer.

They tried all sorts of different things, from bondage to blind folding to spanking, and even asphyxiation. They switched positions a lot too, and it was then that Chris reaffirmed that he found topping much more ideal. Chris also learnt that he had a really bad hickey kink, there was something about teeth grazing against his skin that never failed to send shivers down his spine. The first time Forest had stuck his head in the crook of Chris’s neck and opened his mouth to bite, Chris became an embarrassing vocal mess. At least they both swore to each other that they wouldn’t make any mention of their activities outside of the bedroom, it saved them both from any consequent teasing and humiliation, and Chris knew he had a _lot_ to be humiliated by.

* * *

The S.T.A.R.S. office couldn’t be any hotter, and with the weather being predicted to make temperatures rise even higher, many people were preparing themselves by dressing in loose and minimum clothing. Luckily for the alphas at S.T.A.R.S., Wesker wasn’t monstrous enough to demand they still be in full uniform, if in any uniform, and even he had come to work wearing a printed T-shirt and denim shorts. Jill received a lot of whistles in her tube top and skirt, and Barry came in with a ridiculous large straw hat. It always seemed that wherever the sunlight touched, the overall mood of people would brighten too and not just the land they resided on. The air conditioner was on and they were all to enjoy the nice day with cool drinks and excited chatter. Except that Chris coming in a tank top wasn’t the best choice of clothing, and the stir that it had created in S.T.A.R.S. was enough to throw off the liveliness.

Chris knew he was so stupid to dress like this today, but he was hot and wearing anything else would overheat him. But he didn’t consider the fact that him and Forest had had another one of their meetings just last night, and that would mean Chris would be covered in blooming purples and pinks all over his skin. His hickey kink couldn’t have been discovered in a more comical way. Like a wolf pouncing on its prey, Jill was the first to zoom over to Chris and leer at him giddily as she not-so-subtly scanned his bare skin. He flushed bright pink and groaned as he ducked his head out of sight, hearing Jill coo and laugh as she goaded him to tell her the details.

“So you’re no longer a virgin, huh? Who’s the lucky guy?” She slapped his shoulders and shook them until Chris was glaring at her to stop.

“I’ll tell you about it later.” He mumbled, not fancying having everyone hear this conversation, but Jill seemed too buzzed to wait that long for an answer, and Chris sighed when she leaned close, indicating he whisper the news to her. “Forest.”

“Forest?!” Barry’s and Joseph’s attempts at concealing their eavesdropping failed the moment they choked on their drink or spit in astonishment, pretending to not have reacted when Chris narrowed his eyes at them.

“Jill, you’re such a fucking bitch.” Jill snapped out of her giddy stupor, jolting at his words as if they physically hurt.

“What did you just call me?”

“A bitch, that’s what.” Chris continued on before Jill could respond, her mouth snapping shut at his anger. “First you tell Claire when I told you not to tell _anyone_ , and now fucking this. What is your problem?”

“I already said sorry about telling Claire, and you forgave me, so I don’t know what’s gotten your panties in a twist-”

“I forgave you for telling Claire.” Chris seethed, using his height to dominate the argument. “Had it been anyone else I wouldn’t have.” Jill averted her gaze, the defiance in her posture a little less than it had been before, and Chris was vaguely aware of the other two men watching their heated exchange. “I’m trusting you Jill, you’re my friend.”

Jill’s brow was creased as she pointedly avoided eye-contact, her eyes set hard and her mouth pulled into an ugly frown. She spat her next words as if they tasted vile on her tongue.

“Friends don’t call each other bitches.”

Chris fumed, but Barry put a hand on Jill’s shoulder and that signalled the end of their dispute, Wesker and Brad walking in right at that moment and looking awkward in the tension-filled room. Chris sat back down in his seat and willed his hands to stop shaking while Wesker cleared his throat and assigned them tasks to do for the day, his eyes flickering between Chris and Jill. When they were left to get on with their tasks, Chris started his report and for once, preferred completing it to talking to his team.

* * *

Chris let the sounds of his keyboards lull him into a sort of meditative state as he calmed down somewhat, even if he couldn’t completely stop the endless replaying of the conversation in his head. He thought over the words he said, how he said them, and what he could’ve done differently, because as much as Jill was wrong to betray his trust like that, Chris didn’t handle the situation very well either. Still, Chris thought as he peeked over his computer to see Barry and Jill conversing with each other, why was Jill getting all the comfort here? He frowned a little bitterly, punching the keyboard more aggressively and drowning his senses in the click-clacking sounds.

From all of this though, he only hoped that word of their argument and the topic of it didn’t spread around the building. He was also surprised at the fact that everybody had forgotten about what kicked off the shebang in the first place, he seemed to be the only one that remembered and if he wasn’t so angry he’d probably still be fumbling about with embarrassment.

Clicking ‘print’, he heard the printer whir to life. Just as he was going to grab his completed report, Wesker opened the door and peeked his head into their room, calling Chris into his office. He entered the room a little wearily, wondering what spurred on his summoning.

Wesker was sat at his desk with his elbows propped up, staring at nothing in particular although it was always hard to tell when he was wearing his shades. Chris took the seat opposite him and silently waited, hands fidgeting in his lap, wishing that he was wearing something other than a tank top. Wesker took off his shades, and Chris followed the movement until his captain was addressing him in his business voice.

“So I hear you’ve become the hot topic today.” Oh. He wasn’t expecting this to be about _that_. And quite frankly, Wesker was the last person he wanted to discuss this with. He shrugged, a vague gesture showing how disinterested he was about the conversation. Without the glasses, Wesker’s gaze was out in the open, and it was all too exposing to have his eyes study the bite marks on Chris’s body. “Were _those_ the reason that you and Jill were butting heads this morning?”

It took Chris a second to compute what his captain was referring to, and when he did, he was shaking his head vigorously. “It’s related but it doesn’t really have anything to do with this.” He was about to say more, how his hickeys were just something from outside of work, but the look on Wesker’s face made him swallow the words back. The older man huffed, and it was as if with each passing second he became more and more rigid, his brow furrowed ever so slightly and his mouth a thin line. Chris was beginning to worry that he had somehow made Wesker angry.

“And for what purpose are you showing those off anyway? I thought I was right to assume that you understood this is a professional environment.”

“I’m… not showing these off.” Weskers words rung in his head, and he clenched his hands into fists at them. What was he implying? “It’s boiling today, you can’t expect me to wear to a collared shirt in this weather.”

“Then perhaps you should consider when to be so intimate, knowing how hot it would get.” Chris bristled in his seat, taken aback.

“First of all, I didn’t know it would get this hot, and secondly, what I do in my time off work is personal and, no offence, but it’s none of your business.” Wesker’s frown deepened.

“Clearly it was so personal that it caused that uproar in the office.”

“What?” Chris stood up in his chair, mouth agape in utter disbelief, and he felt like the punch line of some dark joke. “Why did you call me, Wesker? What are you even talking about?” Because at this point it seemed that he man just wanted to let of some steam onto him.

“I called you because you need to comprehend that we’re in a work environment and no one wants to see what you were up to over the weekends.”

“Is it really that big of a problem?” Wesker stood up too, and Chris watched in mild horror as his gaze turned hard after another look at his discolorations, his answer a definitive ‘yes’. “Everyone else seems perfectly fine with it.”

“I’m not everyone else, Chris. I don’t want to see the remnants of your activities with another man.” Chris didn’t know what part of that sentence he hated the most, but one thing for was that he hated Wesker more than anything in this moment. As the meaning of his words finally dawned on Chris, he held back snarls and vehement words of his knowing he could get fired over them. So that’s what this is all about? Chris always knew Wesker was uptight and too formal for his own good, but he didn’t expect for his boss to be discriminative as well. Being gay was never going to be easy, but Chris was always sure he could count on his team to be accepting. His eyes were hot and gleaming with angry tears, aware of how wrong he was.

“So what do you want me to then, go home and change?”

“That would be preferential, yes.”

Defeated, he gave one last glower at Wesker, then stomped his way out of his office. He ignored everyone’s eyes on him as he packed his things by his desk, cursing endlessly under his breath. He wanted nothing more than for this day to be over. Just as he was about to leave, Barry was calling him, concern evident in his tone.

“You OK? What did Wesker say to you?”

Chris shook his head, laughing bitterly. “Like you give a shit anyway.” He slammed the door behind him.

* * *

Some might say he was overreacting, he was a young adult working in the police force, why should he be getting this worked over what his boss said to him? Sure he had taken a leap of faith to admit to himself and then to his closest friend that he was gay, but was it worth losing his head over someone who didn’t accept that? Not to mention that someone being a cold, stone-hearted jerk. No, there should be no reason, and using that trail of thought as a mantra, Chris controlled his breathing and calmed himself down. There was no use sparing people like Wesker his time and energy, and if the man really had a problem with him, then that wasn’t Chris’s fault.

After splashing some cool water on his face, he picked a suitable jacket to wear and had a quick bite before heading back to work. It was such a pathetic request, sending him back home just to get dressed, only because his bite marks were an eyesore apparently. The sun was beating down on Raccoon City without mercy, and Chris wasn’t going to be let of the hook just because he was having a bad day.

He arrived at the door to the S.T.A.R.S. office, double checking that the collar of his jacket was covering his marks, and that he didn’t look as horrible as he felt. He took a breath, then opened the door, coming face-to-face with Jill and Wesker’s argument that very much mirrored their own in the morning.

“This mess is exactly the reason why I told him to cover up.”

“’This mess’ is your fault, and this wouldn’t be an issue if you weren’t such a jackass!”

“You two were already going at even before I arrived, doesn’t that suggest I had no involvement?”

Jill was halfway through shouting back a retort when she saw Chris standing by the doorway, her mouth clamping shut immediately as she became unsure of what to do all of a sudden. Wesker seemed to pay him no regard as he lowered his voice, addressing Jill for the last time before retreating back to his office.

“You’re hardly in any position to talk about being a ‘jackass’, if I may use your own words, so I advise you hold your tongue before I decide to properly discipline you for this outburst.” When Wesker was out of sight, Chris slowly entered the room, feeling out of place like a sore thumb. He inched over to his desk and kept half an eye on Jill who was wound tight with the kind of anger that Chris had possessed not too long ago. He wondered silently what had just happened, but knew that it was too soon to ask, if he could ask at all.

The rest of their shift was just as tense as it had been for the rest of the day, and the increasing temperature didn’t help to cool the situation, only the passing time did. Chris was aware of Barry, Jill and Joseph whispering amongst themselves across the room, and he didn’t bother looking up knowing he was their topic of discussion. This whole day was feeling like one long, excruciating fever dream, nothing was making sense, and Chris was waiting for everything to settle back into its normal routine. Maybe tomorrow, he thought. Finally, the time came to clock out, and the alphas rushed out of the room like they couldn’t get away faster. Chris was so focussed on the idea of lying in bed for the rest of the day that he didn’t sense Jill tapping on his shoulder the first time, or the second time. And when he did finally notice it was like she had suddenly materialised in front of him out of thin air. He jumped a little, Jill smiling at his reaction until she caught herself.

“Are you free?” Rather than a question whether he had time to talk, Chris knew Jill well enough that it was a question of whether he wanted to talk in the first place. He stayed silent for a few moments, before nodding, and a little guilt hit him at Jill’s relieved sigh. “Listen, Chris.” She started, taking a look around to confirm that they were alone, “A lot of shit happened today, and I realised that most of it was pretty much my fault.” Chris wanted to protest, but she stopped him. “I know that I like to tease people a lot, that’s just my way of being friendly. But I shouldn’t have crossed the line, that was a bitch move.” Now it was Chris’s turn, and he began by placing his hands on Jill’s shoulders, expression earnest.

“You’re right. You were being a bitch, but I was wrong to call you out like that in front of everyone. I should’ve talked to you about it later. So for that, I’m sorry too.” He wanted to say thanks as well, for what he assumed to be Jill defending him earlier against Wesker, but he didn’t want to bring up the other man right now.

After a few passing seconds, Jill broke into a grin and Chris knew it meant they’re on good terms again. She shrugged off Chris’s hands on her shoulders and went to lightly punch him in the chest, laughter ringing in his ears. “I guess I got a little too into the moment.” Chris nodded in agreement. They grabbed their things from their lockers and headed out towards the exit where the sun shone in, and since the start of the day, it was the first time Chris actually felt better in the bright, cloudless sky.

“So tell me,” Jill said, “Since when were you and Forest hooking up?”

“It’s been a couple of weeks I guess.”

“I didn’t know he was your type.” Chris shrugged.

“We’re not dating, it’s just to - you know - experiment.”

“Right.” Jill drawled, adjusting her tub top and both of them flipped off a stranger when he cat-called her. “So, a bite kink, huh?”

Chris pouted as he felt his cheeks heat up, but ended up joining in with Jill’s laughter. Maybe things weren’t so bad after all.

* * *

The next day, Chris and Jill entered the office together, and upon seeing Barry, Chris quickly went over to apologise for his behaviour the previous day. The older man waved him off, stroking his beard as he asked Chris if he was alright.

“I’m doing much better, thanks.”

“Good to hear.” They sat at their desks and resumed whatever reports they still had yet to finish, the room slightly less humid than it had been yesterday. Chris still came in wearing his jacket though, purposefully pulling the collar up in case Wesker decided to lecture him again. And Chris would let him, only to stick up his finger because he didn’t care if the man was his captain or not, Chris wouldn’t let him be a homophobe and not go out with a fight. Speaking of fights, Jill and Wesker’s spat yesterday was still fresh in Chris’s mind.

He rolled his chair over to Jill’s desk, interrupting her furious typing with a nervous grin. “What?” She said without taking her eyes off the computer.

“I wanted to ask you something.” Jill paused in her movements, sighing as she swivelled to face Chris. “It’s about yesterday with you and Wesker, what were you two arguing about?” Her eyes lit up at the memory, before she grumbled under her breath.

“I actually wanted to talk you about that too.” They silently agreed to meet up later, and Chris wheeled back to his own desk, greeting Brad when he came in with coffee with Wesker behind him. He pointedly ignored the man, occupying himself with his report so that he didn’t have to think about his captain in the meantime, and through the corner of his eye, he could see Jill do the same thing. Time passed by in relative silence, save for the background tapping of their keyboards and Brad’s slurps every now and then as he drank his coffee, they were noises that Chris was accustomed to and associated with S.T.A.R.S. He found comfort in hearing the normality, however, just as the yesterday veered off the usual course of events, it seemed that Wesker wanted to do disrupt today as well, much to everyone’s disdain.

He entered the room with long strides, grabbing their attention by just his presence alone.

“Marini has requested we swap our timetabled target practice session to today rather than our standard Fridays.” He adjusted the glasses on his face. “So, seeing as we haven’t had a go at the guns in a while, I accepted.” Checking the time on his watch, he announced to see everyone there at 12, before heading out of the office himself. The alphas groaned with hustle and bustle as they abandoned their work and followed their captain towards the shooting gallery in the underground floor.

There was always an element of awe that was associated with the gallery, the large area vast and mainly clear, with the cupboard full of guns to one side. The targets were stored in another cupboard, and Wesker unlocked it with his key and handed a bunch of them out for them to get ready. Chris found target practicing fun, the weight of the gun in his hands gave him a rush of power he could get from nowhere else, and the sessions reminded him of his and Forest’s competition. He startled when Wesker was in his face and forcing a gun in his hands, glaring hard.

“I know this is where you and your playmate like to have fun with each other but don’t start getting spacey.”

Chris huffed, shooting his own glare back. Everyone assembled to their own stations, and Chris took a steady aim as he imagined Wesker’s face there in place of the target. _Take this you dickhead_. Bull’s-eye.

* * *

The day couldn’t take any longer to end, and the S.T.A.R.S. alpha team left merrily. Jill caught up to Chris as they descended the stairs, matching his pace as she followed him out through the exit.

“So where to now?” Right, Chris almost forgot that they agreed to have their talk straight after work, and he quickly racked his brain for a place they could go. He suddenly remembered the café that he and Rebecca visited often, and let Jill know of their destination before leading the way.

The café was more crowded than what Chris was used to, and he supposed it was because of the rush hour and the nice weather. Whatever the reason, it wasn’t the ideal area to have a private conversation, so they moved on in search for somewhere else.

“What about your place?” Chris would’ve suggested his own apartment himself had it not been for the fact that there were some very adult items still not packed away to be hidden from scrutinising gazes such as Jill’s. But he knew he was beat when she caught on to his hesitation, a wide and devilish grin stretching out on her face.

He sighed, not bothering to argue when he knew he couldn’t win anyway, and turned them back around so they could start heading to his apartment. They got there after twenty minutes, and as Chris predicted, Jill wasted no time barging into his room to see all the things he’s left lying around. He didn’t pay her any mind and got some drinks ready for the both of them before taking them to his room. He set them on the desk and then himself on a cushion on the floor, crossing his legs, Jill’s excitement from before gone and her face now set into seriousness.

“So who goes first?” She asked, leaning over to grab a caprisun.

“You, since I asked first anyway.”

“Fair enough. So what do you want to know?” She took a long sip, mouth pinched to suck on the tiny straw.

“What were you and Wesker arguing about? What did he say?” She waved her hands in the air, a vague gesture probably alluding to the fact that it was about Chris and _his_ argument with Wesker.

“Well, you know - the usual with him. I asked him what he said to make you so upset, he started spewing bullshit about how you overreacted or something. Obviously I didn’t believe him because we all know Wesker’s a dick.”

Chris snorted, fiddling with the corner of the cushion he was sitting on. “There’s no denying that.” He said with a sigh, leaving the cushion to lean back and look Jill in the eye. “Wesker’s homophobic.” Jill could consider herself lucky that she wasn’t drinking anything in that moment because it was guaranteed to have been spat out straight away. She looked at Chris incredulously, urging him to explain. “When he called me to his office, he told me he didn’t want to see the marks. He literally sent me home just to put a fucking jacket on, can you believe that?”

“OK but where does the homophobic part come in?”

“It comes when he tells me he doesn’t want to know that I’ve been having sex with another man.”

Jill scrunched her eyebrows, shaking her head. “Did he really say that?”

“Why would I make that shit up?” She looked like she wanted to correct him but didn’t. “I knew he didn’t like me, but I didn’t know it was for that reason.”

The two of them sipped their drinks silently, deep in their own thoughts, and the more Chris let his mind swirl around the events of that day, the more he wished he had never hooked up with Forest in the first place. He used to respect Wesker, used to hold him to a higher tier because he saw what the man could do and knew not just anyone could do that.

Somehow he felt betrayed to see that he wasn’t all that Chris made him out to be.

* * *

The following day, Chris had miraculously managed to come early to the office, and he spent the extra time tidying his desk. He checked through all the piles of paper, binning anything he didn’t need and was just waste, and neatly stacking the rest that should stay. He greeted his team when they entered, getting ready to set to work on his reports when Jill swivelled his chair around.

He raised an eyebrow at her, but she ignored his confusion and pulled him out of his chair. “We’re talking to Wesker.”

“What?” With the way Jill was wrapping herself around Chris’ arm and dragging him to Wesker’s office, it seemed like he didn’t have much of a choice but to follow her. As expected, their captain was already seated and was typing away at his keyboard unaware of Jill’s oncoming lecture to him. He hardly reacted to her bursting through the door, his eyes glued to the screen as his fingers moved furiously.

“I’m busy. I hope this is important.”

“Oh, it is.” At the tone of her voice, Wesker finally ceased his typing, turning slowly to face her. It was as if he only noticed Chris’ now, however, his surprise visible in the way he reached to adjust his glasses.

“So what do I owe the pleasure?”

Jill narrowed her eyes, placing her hands on his desk and looking at him through his tinted glasses.

“You owe Chris an apology.”

Standing off to the side, Chris eyes darted about the place and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, not knowing why he was so embarrassed about this. Sure he didn’t appreciate Wesker’s attitude towards him being gay, but he thought he would just avoid the topic around him and move on. In all honesty he couldn’t even imagine Wesker apologising to anybody, let alone himself.

“An apology for what, exactly?” Now that did seem more like Wesker, but obviously not the kind that Jill was hoping for.

“For being a homophobic jerk.” If Wesker was surprised before, then this time he was baffled, and genuinely so with how his face contorted almost comically. For a minute, Chris believed that maybe Wesker just didn’t know how his words had affected him, but then again, the man was insanely intelligent enough to understand the implication of what he had said. But his reaction wasn’t making any sense.

“I don’t understand.”

“Don’t try to play dumb now. You know what you said.” But several seconds later of silence and even Jill was beginning to doubt what had really gone down. She whipped around to glare at Chris, asking him to repeat Wesker’s words.

“He said something like ‘I don’t want to see what you were up to with another man’.” Chris shook his head, frowning, “But does it really matter?”

“Yes.” This time, the two of them stared back at their captain as he stood up to his full height, the light shining on his face making his scowl all the more prominent. “My precise words were that I don’t want to see your remnants with another man. You’ve clearly mistaken the meaning behind them.” Even as he grumbled out his retort, annoyed and broody, Chris could see the hesitance behind his tone with how his shoulders were tight and pulled close to his body. Distracting him from his observation, Jill’s groan and then her dark look on par with Wesker’s was enough to get Chris doubting everything he ever thought was right.

“You fucking idiot.” Jill jabbed her finger at his chest, poking hard. “How can you be this much of a dumbass?” Chris swatted her hand away.

“Can someone explain what is going on?”

She rolled her eyes, somehow looking both fed up and amused. “Wesker doesn’t want to see you with _another_ man, emphasis on another, not man. You dolt.”

“I don’t get it.” Jill was having a very hard time restraining herself from face-palming.

“If it makes things any clearer you for you,” Came Wesker’s long drawl, “I wouldn’t make such comments because _I’m_ a homosexual myself.”

Head moving left and right, Jill watched both men’s faces, her own expressing the anticipation she felt at Wesker’s confession and what that would mean for Chris. But, as with the common trend, if Chris’ scrunched up nose was any indication, he still didn’t understand anything. This time Jill didn’t stop herself from giving her face a nice sharp slap, groaning as loud as she possibly could. It was obvious that Wesker’s nervousness had also died down into disappointment, almost miserably so.

“Wow, I uh. I didn’t know you were out, Wesker.” At this point, no one could handle Chris’ stupidity, who still stood there looking meek and oh so punch-able. At least to Jill anyway, who had no idea what Wesker saw in the guy and quite frankly pitied her boss. She also realised that the both of them had been unjustly angry at Wesker, and in a weird turn of events she found herself apologising to their captain and telling Chris to say sorry too.

Of course the idiot still didn’t comprehend anything, and if he ever would without Wesker completely spelling it out for him was one of life’s mysteries. All Jill could say was that she wished Wesker good luck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is appreciated!
> 
> Tumblr/Twitter: @yaytobio


	5. Wesker & Birkin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while;;; this chapter was a bit of a struggle to get out but I hope everyone enjoys it nonetheless!

5)

Yesterday Chris had spent his day after work doing all sorts of tasks here and there, big and small including tidying his house. Today it continued and led him to go shopping for bits and bobs, including compost and 25 mm screws so he could finally put up this shelf he had bought literally months ago. He didn’t like to call himself a procrastinator and instead told himself very religiously that it was his work that ate up all his time and energy. 

He walked through various shops, the bags on his arms increasing in number until they were just about light enough for him to still carry. He should’ve called Forest to help him out with this, but since he didn’t he’d just have to make do with carrying the load, setting the bags down from time to time to give himself a break. 

He entered the next shop to look for some new trainers. The smell of shoe shops was always very distinctive, a mix of smelly feet and fresh rubber from soles. He walked around the aisles mindlessly, looking at all the glittery women’s wear and squinting his eyes at the tall, tall heels. He remembered when Claire had to try shoes like those once, and how she almost broke her ankles trying to take her first step. They both decided it was best for her to just wear some sneakers instead. 

Chris walked ahead, towards the back where the men’s section was, past the school shoes which were all on sale now that September was approaching. And while it was very common for adults to be in that area too, helping their kids try on the right size with a comfortable fitting, what Chris didn’t find very common, was seeing someone like Wesker there. He almost didn’t believe his own eyes, staring at the guy who most definitely resembled his boss but might not necessarily be him. He supposed he was staring too much because Wesker, and yes that was scarily enough Wesker, turned around and seemed just as surprised as he was.

“Hey.” He waved dumbly, wondering what else he was supposed to say to his boss in the aisle of school shoes. Chris walked round so that they weren’t blocked by shelves of footwear, and that’s when he saw the plausible explanation for Wesker’s appearance there. A little girl, probably about 3 was holding onto his hand, a pair of dolly shoes in the other. 

Wesker understood his confusion, looking awkward as he peered down at the girl. “I’m looking after her today.” Chris nodded, it still didn’t clarify anything but he didn’t want to pry into his personal life. 

“I’m Sherry.” The girl beamed, and Chris’ heart immediately melted at how cute she was. He knelt down as he smiled too, feeling like he was young again and taking care of Claire.

“I’m Chris. It’s very nice to meet you.” She nodded, pressing closer to Wesker. “And that guy is my boss, although all he ever does is be grumpy and wear sunglasses indoors.” She giggled, smiling up at Wesker and then back to Chris.

“Are you a cop?” He nodded, standing up and posing as if he had a gun in his hands.

“So if you ever need any help, come to me, not Wesker.” She giggled again, and Chris grinned at her, ruffling her hair. Wesker just watched the exchange happen silently, frowning slightly at Chris’ comments.

“Come on, let’s go try these on.” He led her to one of the seats, and Chris took it as his cue to continue his own searching.

“I’ll, uh, see you later?” He probably made Wesker mad seeing as he wasn’t responding, and gave a tiny wave to Sherry before moving on. Well, his body moved on, his mind didn’t follow too well. Sure his captain kept very much to himself and hardly, if ever, talked about his own life and family, but to think a man like him possibly has a child. It was making Chris’ head spin. Was he married? A single parent? It all just seemed way too weird to be true, but if it was he couldn’t keep thinking that way about it because that was mean to the older man. Maybe he was a family man but just never gave any indication whatsoever at work. Chris smiled at the thought of cold-hearted Wesker reading bedtime stories to his daughter, the image was cute. He stopped in his tracks, shaking his head. Did he really just think that? OK, he shouldn’t get too ahead of himself, Sherry was cute, and Wesker- 

Well Wesker was a little too but that wasn’t the point.

He practically shoved his head in the trainers, not wanting to think about what he may have just admitted. 

He searched for his size, trying on different shoes and finding the right ones. When he was done, he picked up the box he wanted and went to the counter, coincidentally (or maybe some other entity was just fucking with him today) he met Sherry and Wesker in the queue. There was someone else with them too, both of the men holding onto her hands as they waited there. Chris wasn’t sure whether he should butt in but well, what was the harm in having a little chat? He tapped Wesker on the shoulder, grinning at his look of recognition, not so much at his sigh.

“Are you stalking me Chris?” He flushed, shaking his head.

“It’s just a coincidence, I swear!” Sherry bounced on her feet when she saw Chris, and he was happy that at least someone liked his company. She let go off the stranger’s hand and latched on to his, and he giddily smiled at how adorable she was. 

“So you prefer this total stranger to your own father, I see how it is!” He crossed his arms and huffed, Wesker tutting at him.

“This is Chris Redfield, my co-worker.” He said to Sherry’s (other?) father, and then he turned to Chris. “And this is William-“

“Dr. Birkin.” The doctor smiled, eyes thin and skin sort of sickly pale. For someone who was a doctor, Chris was concerned that he didn’t even know how to take care of himself first. 

Wesker rolled his eyes, and all four of them moved forward in the line. 

Chris couldn’t help questioning the nature of their relationship, he knew Wesker, despite today proving him a little wrong, and he knew that only someone  _ really _ important to him could make him  _ fondly _ roll his eyes. Yeah, he didn’t miss the subtle playfulness behind their exchange, and for whatever reason it had him not liking this doctor Birkin. It was stupid to base his opinion of someone from just that but Chris had also been told he was stupid many times before so he was going to use the excuse given to him.

He watched them both a little more carefully than before, noticing a few further things now that he was looking for it. The little knowing looks they gave each other, probably ones that conveyed messages only they could decipher, the way Wesker’s mouth would tilt up just slightly, the closest thing to a smile Chris had ever seen. He was going to be bitter, thinking back to every attempt he ever made to strengthen his bond with him and be more than a cold captain and a subordinate just doing his job. They were co-workers, and sure things should remain professional, but it didn’t change that they spent a lot of their days and hours together. And for that amount of time, Chris would’ve liked that they could at least be friends through it all. And yet, perhaps it was because of this doctor that Wesker kept his distance with his team, because to him, he already had someone waiting for him at home, someone better to spend time with then his teammates. 

Maybe he was thinking into all of this too much, but he couldn’t shake that it was some sort of pathetic confirmation that they weren’t friends not because Wesker didn’t know how to be anything more than a serious superior, but because he didn’t want to be anything more. It was more than clear that he was very capable of having some banter, so what was stopping him?

They made it to the cashier, the other two men arguing over who should pay for Sherry’s shoes like a married couple while Chris rolled his eyes from behind them. He was called to another cashier where he paid for his trainers, almost laughing at himself in self-pity at how many bags he had to carry. He could’ve called Claire to come help if not Forest, but he didn’t really want to bother them with a task as mundane as this. 

He heaved the bags out of the store, looking for a place to sit. Just as he spotted a bench, suddenly the load on his arms was lighter, and he found Wesker beside him carrying one of his bags. 

“You don’t have to!” He immediately protested, scrambling to take back his bags but failing miserably.

“Is this a new workout regime for you? Or simply another day of Redfield shenanigans?” 

“Neither.” He answered a little curtly, looking around for where Wesker’s husband went and wondering why his captain would even bother with him. “Can I have my stuff back?”

He was handed his bag back, purposefully refusing to face Wesker after having been unnecessarily snippy which, truth be told, Chris still wasn’t so sure why he was in a bad mood.

Wesker looked like he wanted to say something, which was rare since Wesker’s face was so unreadable at times and it was strange that he wanted to talk at all in the first place. He never did understand the man, but it didn’t stop Chris from thinking he was a little cool, if not always brooding and perhaps the cause of his frustration today. With some stubborn finality, he stomped over to the bench he eyed before and set his bags down, huffing a little to himself when he saw his captain still lingering around. 

He raised an eyebrow at him, now more than just confused when the other man didn’t seem to want to leave anytime soon. “Something I can help you with, Captain?”

“Is it a crime to stand?”

He rolled his eyes. Sometimes Wesker could be so straight-forward it was alarming, other times he was like this – convoluted and always so… distant. Chris didn’t like the distance, the cold shoulders and his hell-bent attitude on avoiding them at all costs.

He took the time to just rest for a moment, knowing he would have to make his way to the car park again soon since he couldn’t just sit around for the whole day. It would be a difficult trip, but he could manage. He’d wrestled down criminals on the run before, this should be a piece of cake. 

“Well, I’m gonna head off.” He announced, arms rested as much as they could be and he gave them a shake before standing up. He started hooking the bags over his forearms, one by one and steadily to not suddenly strain himself, but before lifting with a heave, Wesker had yet again decided to steal his stuff. He wanted to protest, like a child insisting they were big enough and strong enough to do the job, and that they didn’t need any help. He wanted to but didn’t, sighing in defeat. “Won’t your husband be wondering where you went?” He asked as Wesker lifted up a few more bags.

“My what?”

“The doctor.” He made a vague gesture to the man standing a little bit away from them, catching Sherry’s gaze and giving her a small smile.

“No, now where are we heading?” Chris started leading the way to the car park, idle chatter about what Chris had gone shopping for, how Sherry was doing and other random topics. As Chris was loading the car, he realised something wasn’t right and smacked himself in the head for making such a stupid mistake. “I forgot one of the bags, it had some of my groceries in it.” Wesker seemed to find his slip up amusing and he just followed Chris back to the mall so he could collect his final bag. 

What they saw when they got there however, what something to make Chris forget all about his shopping. A women, dirty blonde hair. It was all he could make out from her when she was kissing up a storm with the one and only Dr. Birkin, hands on her waist as if they’d been on there time and time again. He was almost too startled to think straight, but there was enough clarity in his mind that he turned to face Wesker. His husband was cheating on him and this had to be one of the worst possible ways to find out. And just as he’d expected one of Wesker’s responses to be, the man had his face pulled in a manner of disgust, and rightfully so. He needed to say something, anything, he couldn’t just stay silent while his captain watched his partner betray him like that.

He didn’t get his chance though, the women and Birkin breaking off with love-struck smiles who only then seemed to notice the return of Wesker’s presence. 

“I really didn’t need to see that.” Had been the first words spoken from Wesker, Chris’ hand itching to place it on his shoulder for comfort. 

The women’s smile dropped when she saw Wesker, but still somehow strangely fond as she gave him a wave, not hiding her drawn out sigh though. 

“Friend of yours?” She glanced over at Chris, clearly eyeing him up and down for whatever reason, he shuffled under the scrutiny, feeling growing animosity towards her. “Is he OK? He looks a little spooked.” He almost scoffed at that, as if anyone  _ wouldn’t _ be after witnessing your boss be getting cheated on. But Wesker’s attention was on him anyway, face mildly concerned. 

“What’s the matter with you?” 

“What’s the matter with  _ me _ ?” He asked incredulously. Who the fuck was still being calm in a revelation like this? “You just witnessed your husband cheating on you and you’re still standing here perfectly fine! How are  _ you _ not blowing your top off over this?” What were the looks for? He was suddenly thinking he had just gotten everything wrong,  _ very wrong _ . And it started with the way Wesker’s body was slowly consumed in tremors, voice rumbling as it picked up to turn into a chuckle, and it was then that Chris realised he was laughing at him. Birkin seemed to join in, snorting and nudging the women while Sherry grinned and snickered herself. 

“Husband?” Wesker had his mouth covered behind a polite hand as he laughed, as if that was making Chris feel any better. “I thought I heard you wrong before but-“ He broke off, shaking his head. “You’re really something.”

“What...? I don’t get it.” The embarrassment is there but he still manages to get by it when Wesker's surprisingly nice laughs flutters through his ears. It sounds nice, in a strange way as if it wouldn't to anyone else. 

"Chris Redfield. I certainly didn't choose you on my team for the brains that's for sure." Chris crosses his arms across his chest defensively, but let's Wesker finish considering he knew he was severely misunderstanding something here. "William is my old time colleague and - friend. If you must. Annette," he gestures to the women still smiling no doubt absolutely amused, "is his wife. Sherry is their daughter and I was just watching over her for a bit." 

It  _ clicks _ . Like the missing gear being fitted in, and finally Chris begins to understand and fill in the gaps in his knowledge, only turning a brighter shade of red as he fits every new piece of the puzzle together. It's not like Wesker spares him in the slightest, still continuing as if Chris needs any further explanation. Honestly, with how slow he was to catch on, he'd say it was fairly understandable. Only a little though. 

"Me with him?" Wesker makes a face, and Chris gets the point. "He's not even my type." And it's weird to hear the man talk so much, and so casually too. He supposes it's the fact that they're not at work and that he's with his friends that Wesker has loosened up. 

"What is your type then?" Chris blurts out, actually self aware enough to know how awkwardly curious that question had sounded. He insists in his own mind it was just an innocent question, but the growing number of strange looks he receives makes him do more than just blush. Especially the ones from his captain who's staring right at him. 

"Sorry." He, very unmanly of him, squeaks out, rushing to grab his bag. He doesn't have the mental strength to look Wesker in the eye when he greets him and runs off. 

* * *

"When are you gonna tell him?" Annette asks, Sherry on her hip and Wesker just sighs. 

"I don't think even telling him will do any good." 

Annette shrugs, "You should give it a try. He seems to receive verbal communication much better." She sounds almost snide, like Wesker is dumb to not have already attempted at just telling him flat out. He pinches the bridge of his nose, another long sigh coming out in almost a grumble. 

"He's an imbecile," Wesker grunts out, and the other part of that sentence he doesn't want to admit is that straight up confessing is mortifying on many levels. He could handle the rejection, he thinks to himself, keep his face neutral and just thank Chris for his time and walk off. If he accepts, things would become complicated. He was still on a mission, a plan. He was still with Umbrella, and to get Chris caught up in their business would be a disaster, not only that but… Wesker wasn't sure he'd even have time to spend with Chris. He didn't want to put the man in a relationship so dull as that. 

Annette, who now passed Sherry onto a clumsy Birkin, smiled to herself. She could tell Wesker was thinking very heavily. "It could've just been my imagination," She begins, adding her lovely insight, "But he was really upset with our display of affection, and I mean, upset for  _ you _ ." She stands there still smiling, although it doesn't seem as comforting anymore as she watches Wesker freeze and narrow his eyes at her. 

"Are you implying…?" He trails off back into his own mind, remembering Chris' rather grumpy attitude he wanted to point out too. Could that have been  _ jealousy _ ? 

Chris had been jealous he was with someone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am considering writing a bonus chapter for this.. 
> 
> Feedback is appreciated!
> 
> tumblr/twitter: @yaytobio


	6. Chris + Wesker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaa im sorry its kind of bad tbh i think i got tired at the end but here it is, the bonus chapter. I wanted it to sort of tie the other 5 chapters together and be the closure this fic needs. 
> 
> one last thing - my writing commissions are now open, check out either my tumblr or twitter page for more info, pls consider it'll help a lot. 
> 
> anyways, thank you and enjoy

Bonus)

It was another tough day at work, alpha team undoubtedly drained of their energy from dealing with a reckless car chase to arson by some bratty children. Chris sighed as he removed his uniform and stuffed it into his locker, not bothered if it got wrinkly and only wanting to do nothing but jump into bed. He couldn’t even get himself to humour any of Forest’s or Joseph’s jokes and antics, dismissing them with a half smile and a shrug before trudging out of the locker room. He walked past their office, peeking his head in and frowning when he could see light coming from Wesker’s office. He pushed the door open and went towards his captain’s office, confirming his suspicions that Wesker was going to stay late. 

He invited himself inside and walked over to stand by Wesker’s desk, seeing what work he was completing at this late hour. 

“When are you gonna call it a night?”

“When this is done.” He answered without so much as a pause. Chris expected the answer, walking around Wesker and placing gentle hands on his shoulders. He hummed as he began pressing his fingers into muscles, smiling to himself when his massage was being well received.

“D’you think you could do the rest of this tomorrow?” He didn’t want to seem pushy but he knew sitting at a desk for hours on end couldn’t be good for anyone, and if Chris was tired, then Wesker as their captain had to be even more so surely. He thought for a moment that he would give in, feeling him lean into the touch and relax a little more, but apparently not when he told Chris to go home. 

“I won’t leave without you.” 

“Don’t be ridiculous. Now allow me to concentrate.” Chris slumped with a pout, spotting a chair in the office and moving it so he could sit next to his boyfriend.

There wasn’t much else Wesker could say, the both of them knowing that Chris was too stubborn for his own good. They didn’t talk much, enjoying each other’s company. Chris decided to go around and see what he could tidy up in the office, even if Wesker had pretty much everything organised already.

There was actually another reason why he’d wanted Wesker to leave early, apart from the obvious concerning back problems that would arise from sitting for so long, and the mental drainage of overworking, Chris also wanted to talk to him about a certain topic that’s been on his mind for a while. 

He was going to wait patiently though, now just sitting opposite Wesker and playing with his desk toy. He might not have been as subtle as he would’ve liked, blue eyes finding his own and he sat up at being silently addressed. 

“Something you want to say?” Chris studied that tired face, the deadpan expression that softened up only a few times, those stunning icy eyes. He scratched his chin awkwardly to hide the fact that he was staring. 

“Kinda, I’ve been thinking about something lately.” He nudged Wesker under the table for that concerned face. “No seriously.”

“I am being serious.” But Chris could still see that hint of a smirk.

“I don’t want you to get mad if I ask this.” At that, he captured Wesker’s full attention, pen being put down as he disregarded his work for a moment. “It’s gonna sound pretty fucking stupid-”

“As usual.”

“-But why would you want to date a guy you hate?” He’d been thinking about it a lot, since that day when Chris barged into his office, rambled about a bunch of stuff only to confess to Wesker at the end, who surprisingly agreed to be in a relationship. That was two weeks ago, and time and time again, Chris was stumped by the same question that haunted him. Why did he say yes? His leg jiggled nervously under the desk, and he hadn’t realised how much he was scared to hear the answer until now that he’d asked for it. 

He was scared, but he let Wesker lean in for a kiss, lips brushing as they tilted their heads, melting into the touch. 

He pulled back feeling so, so confused. 

“What makes you think I hate you?” And the feeling didn’t leave.

“I don’t wanna speak badly of you, but you get really snippy sometimes. And it’s only with me. Claire said you acted funny around me, and you got really mad that time I uh- when me and Forest...” He rubbed his neck, hoping Wesker knew he was referring to the day he came in with hickeys accidentally on display. “There’s been other times too, but I think you get the point.” He sat and waited, finger’s in a tight bunch and he felt like he was going to explode with nervousness. He had been sincere, had laid his heart out for the man he loved, and he wondered whether Wesker would make it swell or break it into a thousand pieces. 

“You’re remarkable.” 

“Huh?” Wasn’t that a compliment?

“I said you’re remarkable, incredible, absolutely amazing.” And Chris had never heard Wesker say so many praises in one sitting, if ever. “That wasn’t hatred, at least not at you.” He tried to search for any signs that Wesker was lying, but he seemed just as genuine.

“Then, who did you hate?” Wesker exhaled, pressing his lips into a thin line and averting his gaze, all telltale body language that pointed to him being… embarrassed? Chris felt like he was out of the loop, missing something and probably had been for a while now.

“I hated everyone who was with you.”

“But why?” They were good people, had they done something to hurt him?

“It’s getting late now, we should be heading home.” Wesker got up from his seat but Chris wouldn’t let him walk away until he got the answers he needed. He held his arm and got up with him.

“Is it embarrassing? Because I’ve seen worse from you.” 

“That’s very reassuring.”  _ Dammit _ , he gripped Wesker’s shoulders firmly and made sure the man could see his stern face. They stared each other down for what felt like hours, before the older of them sighed in resignation.

“I hated them because I wasn’t the one with you.” Chris took some time processing the words, thinking back to the times Wesker would shoot Jill glares for hanging off his arm, when he would get snippy with Claire in the office, or how he hated any sort of mention of Forest. All of a sudden, he felt he had to be the dumbest person in existence. 

“Jealousy.” He stated, like he’d been asked a question and this was his final answer. “You were jealous.” He received a nod, although Wesker was still riddled with tension, but Chris knew it was just him being his cute, embarrassed self. He smiled, pulling on the arm he was holding to bring the older man closer to him, before placing a gentle kiss on his hand. “You were jealous.” He was saying the same thing as before, but his tone was much more teasing, and it did wonders to make Wesker’s face flush, frown prominent but not of a negative nature. 

“It took you long enough.” Came a grumble. There was silence for a little moment while they enjoyed each other’s company, Chris running his thumb over Wesker’s knuckles and Wesker staring back at his boyfriend with a deep yearning, until it was interrupted by Chris clearing his throat. 

“So uh, since you were so eager to leave, wanna come over to my place?” Wesker sighed, seemingly reluctant, but Chris knew he was just tired. 

“You won’t be jealous if I tell Jill I’m not going to the pub today will you?”

“Shut up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please dont kill me i know its short 
> 
> tumblr/twitter: @yaytobio

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is appreciated! 
> 
> Tumblr/Twitter: @yaytobio


End file.
